"Vigil of St Bartholomew"

Question 1

Vigil of St Bartholomew: Semantic field of light:
1. ‘So lit b l…C s..t’

Answer 1

1. ‘So lit by love…Christ shines…transfiguring’:
   brilliant, luminescent imagery = joyous & positive image of radiance & everlasting light as a metaphor for the divine state of heaven.
   - Luminosity = in CR view teh pursuit of religion is equal to a sort of spiritual epiphany & enlightenment.

Question 2

Vigil: Extreme physical connection to religiosity:

1. ‘Hearts s t p, a w e s’
2. ‘Watch a w, w a r’

Answer 2

1. ‘hearts strung to prayer, awake while eyelids sleep’: physical, biological connection to prayer and religious devotion. Suggestive that there is an inextricable link between humanity & god & this relationship lies dormant until one makes the conscious decision to pursue spiritual unity.
2. ‘watch and weep….wake and rise’: daily cycle of prayer? Juxtaposition of the morose image of ‘watch and weep’ with the positivity of ‘wake & rise’ = reflects the trials and tribulations that one must face to attain true devotion which will culminate in a spiritual reward i.e. ascension as indicated by ‘rise’

Question 3

Vigil: admiration for devotion:

1. ‘S S!’
2. ‘S p…s c…s r…s l’

Answer 3

1. ‘Sweet Souls!’ Sibilance of this exclamation creates an emphatic speaker wholly enthusiastic about these utterly spiritually devoted virgins.
2. ‘So patient…so calm…so rapt…so lit’: Constant repetition of ‘So’ intensifies the extent of their utter devotion to God, perhaps creates a longing tone in the speaker - do they wish for others to mimic this devoted lifestyle?